Drops of Jupiter
by mockingjay-x
Summary: He wasn't sure when it started, but it did. One minute they were fine, laughing and joking. The next, they weren't. They were yelling and screaming at each other.   AUish Future PuckleBerry. Rated T for the occasional bit of bad language.


I know I should be updating Tracing Patterns, but my muse for that disappeared completely. I'm trying to get it back, but each time I grasp it, it slips away again. It's unbelievably frustrating.

This song came on my iPod today when I was heading up to the store and I really wanted to write a Rachel/Puck fanfic for it. Only I didn't know where to go with it. I'm still not completely sure I done it justice in all fairness. But please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: The song _Drops of Jupiter _belongs to the band _Train. _And the characters belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox. I own nothing.

Oh, and a Happy Birthday to Mark Salling himself. I'm still in love with him a little. (A lot.)

* * *

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey  
She acts like summer and walks like rain  
Reminds me that there's a time to change, hey  
Since the return from her stay on the moon  
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey _

He wasn't sure when it started, but it did. One minute they were fine, laughing and joking. The next, they weren't. They were yelling and screaming at each other. Both stooping low and bringing up things from the past. His Dad, Beth, her Mom, Finn. It was his fault, he knew it was his fault. If he hadn't been so stupid and accused her of cheating on him -come on, this was Rachel Berry, she didn't do that shit- then he'd still have her. They'd still be living in that tiny one bedroom apartment in New York City. They'd still be falling asleep in the same bed each night. They'd still be in the same damn city.

But no, he was back in Lima. Living up to what he was supposed to by being a Lima Loser. It was practically written in the stars that it was all there was for him. Noah Puckerman didn't belong in New York City, that was Rachel's place. He'd just crashed there.

It had been three months and in those three months he'd been miserable, he'd missed her. He'd missed hearing her laugh at that stupid show with Jennifer Aniston in, Friends or whatever it was. He'd missed the sound of her singing when she was making dinner or in the shower. He missed how she could call him on his bullshit when he said he was fine after getting rejected from yet another job interview. He was never fine, not anymore.

_But tell me, did you sail across the sun?  
Did you make it to the Milky Way  
To see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated?_

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?  
One without a permanent scar  
And then you missed me  
While you were looking for yourself out there?_

Audtion after audition had come along. Not a single one had been parts she particularly wanted, but she was at that stage where she didn't care. She needed something to take her mind off of him. Off the fact that he was no longer a part of her life. One fight too many. One crazy accusation. And he called her the crazy one. He accused her of cheating on him? That was absolutely absurd. She loved him. She was not him.

Rachel wasn't sure when it happened, but it did. All in the same day too. She got a phone call to tell her she got a role. It was an off-Broadway production, but it was definitely better than nothing. Plus, it was the lead. Her lead co-star was to be someone called Elliott Montgomery. He was just finding his way in the theater industry too. That must have been why they connected. It was the first time she'd really connected with since Noah. Elliott made her laugh and he took her out on dates, opened doors for her, always took the check. He was a gentleman.

But they didn't fight. Never. She missed that. She missed the yelling, the way she would go to his him and he would grab her arm and just kiss her. She'd always loved those kisses the most. There wasn't the passion with Elliott that there had been with Noah. So, she ended things before it really began. He seemed to agree with her though that they shouldn't date while they were working together. Especially since they were only just making their way into the theater. It could jeapordize all they'd ever worked for and wanted.

_Now that she's back from that soul vacation  
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey  
She checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo  
Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey_

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
I'm afraid that she might think of me as  
Plain ol' Jane told a story about a man  
__Who was too afraid to fly so he never did land_

It was Thanksgiving and she was going back to spend it with her Dad and Daddy in Lima. She missed them, even though they frequently visited her in New York. More so since her break-up with Noah. She had friends, it wasn't like she was living a completely sheltered life now that she no longer had a boyfriend. She had her career to think about. After all that was why she had gone to New York in the first place. Her career.

"I saw Rachel in the grocery store yesterday. You should go and see her." That's what his Mother had said to him as he sat on the couch staring at the television watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Well, he wasn't watching. Just staring at the same spot on the television. He couldn't go and see her, because she didn't want that. If she had wanted to see him, she would have let him know that she was back in Lima for the holiday.

Her cell phone beeped as she was snuggled up on the sofa, blanket over her and a cup of chamomile tea in her hand. _Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you enjoy it with your Dad's. Noah. _The brunette couldn't help but smile a little as she read the text before quickly typing a reply. _**Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Noah. Tell your Mom and Sarah I said Hello.**_

The moment he read her reply, Puck got up from the couch and headed up to his bedroom to get changed, not before he had a shower though. Once dressed in his jeans and t-shirt, he pulled a hoodie over his head and slipped on his pair of sneakers before making his way downstairs again. Ignoring the calls of his Mom, he left the house and made his way out into the cold Lima air. The things he done for that girl, seriously.

_But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet?  
Did you finally get the chance  
To dance along the light of day  
And head back to the Milky Way?_

_And tell me, did Venus blow your mind?  
Was it everything you wanted to find?  
And then you missed me  
While you were looking for yourself out there_

The moment he turned up outside her house, he regretted it. He wasn't sure why he was there, but he was. _Come outside. Please? _Puck stood on the side walk at the bottom of her front lawn, hoping that she wouldn't just leave him standing there. Pushing his hands into his pockets, Puck kept his eyes on the door hoping it would open. Hoping that Rachel would come outside. Because he had no idea whether her Dad's would try to kill him or some shit if he walked to the front door.

Looking through the window, Rachel saw him standing there in jeans and his old McKinley hoodie and she knew he must be freezing. Slipping on her pair of UGGs that were by the front door, she kept the blanket around her as she opened the door and closed it behind her before walking down to the man at the end of her garden.

"'S fucking freezing, Rach." He mumbled, smiling sheepishly at the brunette as she stopped a few feet in front of him.

"I know it is. Why are you here?" She whispered, pulling the blanket even tighter around her tiny frame as a shiver ran down her back.

He just shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his feet, suddenly realising it was stupid to be there. It was over between them. She had ended things. "Wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, I guess."

Rachel just rolled her eyes at his response and stepped slightly closer to him looking up at him, hoping he would stop avoiding looking at her. "Would you like to come inside?" Seeing the look of sheer horror on his face, Rachel couldn't help but laugh softly. "They're visiting some friends this morning. They'll be back at about two."

Puck just looked down at the hand she was offering him and took it before being led into her house. They settled down on the couch together, not cuddled up like they had done so many times before. But her head was leant against his shoulder as the blanket covered them. He had seen this movie too many times, but Rachel liked My Fair Lady, so he wasn't going to complain.

_Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken  
Your best friend always sticking up for you  
Even when I know you're wrong?_

_Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance  
Five-hour phone conversation  
The best soy latte that you ever had, and me?_

Christmas was to be spent back in New York. Her Father's had already arranged a trip to somewhere up in Vermont for the holiday and Rachel honestly didn't mind. Although, it brought back memories of the previous Christmas with Noah. It wasn't a holiday they particularly celebrated, but when they were in New York, it's kind of hard not to get sucked into the festivities. What she wasn't expecting to find as she opened her door on Christmas morning was to find Noah sitting outside covered in his jacket, his duffle bag and guitar beside him.

"Noah," she whispered, nudging him gently. She was meant to be going to her friends, but now she was certain that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Mmm?" He mumbled, his eyes slowly opening to see Rachel kneeling down beside him. "Merry Christmas, Rach."

"Mind telling me why you're sitting outside my door? You still have a key." She reminded him as she stood up and held her hand out towards him.

"I know. But it's your apartment, I didn't want to intrude. Didn't know if you had anyone with you." The words pained him to say, but he couldn't expect her to stay single forever.

Rachel couldn't help but chuckle softly and she shook her head, reaching for his duffle bag and taking it inside her apartment, waiting for him to follow. "Just me, Noah." Dropping his bag on the floor, she turned to face him and smiled weakly. "I... Did you want to do something?"

Puck just nodded his head slightly as he put his guitar down against the wall and pulled his jacket on properly. "Unless you have plans?"

"Nothing that can't be cancelled. Can we get coffee first though?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

_But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet?  
Did you finally get the chance  
To dance along the light of day  
And head back toward the Milky Way?_

_But tell me, did you sail across the sun?  
Did you make it to the Milky Way  
To see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated?_

"How is everything going?" Puck asked quietly as they sat in the corner of their little coffee house. It never seemed to close, no matter what time they used to walk past it, it always seemed open. Apparently Christmas day was no exception.

"It's good. Work is tough, but I'm enjoying it." Rachel couldn't hide the smile the spread across her lips as she looked at the man in front of her. He was different, but it seemed in a good way. Almost as though he had grown up since they went their separate ways. "How are things with you, Noah?"

A simple shrug of the shoulders and Puck looked down at his coffee in front of him, avoiding looking at the brunette in front of him. "Alright, 'spose."

"Noah," she warned softly, wanting him to be honest with her. If he couldn't do that, there would never be any hope of them being anything more than they had been the past months. "New York isn't the same without you." She began, hoping that would make him start to talk a little more.

Slowly, he brought his eyes to meet hers and smiled weakly at the brunette. "You're doing better for yourself than you were when I was around. I just held you back from doing all this. From Broadway."

"Is that how you feel?" She questioned quietly before taking a sip of her drink, her eyes not leaving his.

"'S how I always felt, Rach. I'm nothing but a Lima Loser. You're gonna be this big Broadway star. I'm not holding you back anymore."

The pain was visible in his eyes, Rachel could see that and she reached across the table and placed her hand lightly on his arm, brushing her thumb across it gently. "You never held me back, Noah. You encouraged me. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am now." Looking down at their hands, she smiled to herself before looking back up at him. "You've never been a Lima Loser. A little bit mislead, but never a Lima Loser."

_And tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?  
One without a permanent scar  
And then you missed me  
While you were looking for yourself?_

Sitting on a bench in Central Park, Rachel leant into Noah as she linked her arm through his. They'd spent all morning talking and now they had decided to come to their spot in Central Park. She always loved seeing it covered in snow and this was no different. Maybe they'd get back to where they were once.

"I'm sorry." Puck whispered as he took hold of her hand and laced their fingers together. "I never should have said it."

It took her a moment to realise what he was referring to, but her mind took her back to their break-up, their fight. It had been stupid. She should not have told him to get out of her (their) apartment and go back to Lima where he belonged. They'd both said some harsh things and each time she thought about him, she wanted to take it back. "I am too. Do you think we'll ever get back there?"

Puck looked down at their hands and gave hers a small squeeze as he nodded his head. "I hope so. One day."

"Me too. One day." The brunette sighed contently as she snuggled into his side a little more, tightening her grip on his hand. "I'm not lonely anymore. I have you."

"You always had me."

_And did you finally get the chance  
To dance along the light of day?  
And did you fall for a shooting star?  
Fall for a shooting star?  
And now you're lonely looking for yourself out there_

_

* * *

_

Review, please? I'd really appreciate it._  
_


End file.
